Assessment Of The Nutritional Status Of Liver Outpatient Visiting The Liver Institute Hospital At Shebin El-Kom, Menoufia

This work was conducted to evaluate the nutritional status of a group of Menoufia outpatients visiting the liver institute hospital at Shebin-El-kom which were chosen randomly from more or less old individual (20 subject; 50 to 70 years old; mean age 60.9 years). Socioeconomic, food habits and health status information obtained via personal interview, and food taken via 24 hours recall method, carried out for 3 days, one of them is the week holiday. Food intake analyzed using a computer program for analyzing ready to eat Egyptian foods.
In line with the fact that Menoufia characterized by high level of education, only four of the participants were illiterate. But unemployment amount to 30%. Most of outpatients (80%) lived in the rural, so 60% of them had relatively big families (more than 3 persons in family).
Although all participants were of liver disease, 75% of them do not follow a special diet. It was found that the just (25%) were diabetic. Forty percent of patients skipped meals, 15% of them do not take milk and 40% of patients taking tea, have the drink right after the meal. It was good that 95% of participants do not use salt, and all of them eat the meat boiled, but it seems faulty that consumption of green salad was low. As high as 30% of patients suffer from other ailment besides the liver disease, about 67% had genetic diseases, 50% of them exposed to foot edema, 45% had swelling in abdomen, 15% obese, 50% with anorexia, 60% suffer of dizziness and 5% suffer of shivering. Unfortunately, all of participants do not practice physical exercise, while being overweight (Mean BMI about 27).
Water intake may be low from the food, but was adequate when water from sources other than food added. Total calories taken by outpatients (13.26 kcal/1kg.bw) was dramatically low, and should be raised to meet recommendations (35±6.45 kcal/1kg.bw).
Total protein of control diet was adequate (93.6 g/d) revealing the value 1.23 g/k. bw). While the intake was dramatically low (41.21 g/d) revealing the value of 0.544 g/d only, and 75.59% of the DRI- to keep the health of outpatients, therefor total protein intake should be raised. Total fat taken was only 45.78% that of the control meal, and this corrected if raising total calories intakes. Animal fat intake was considerably less than the animal of control meal, indicating good practice to avoid much intake of saturated fat. Carbohydrates was extremely low, thereby with the low protein and fat this caused the low t-calories intake.
Fibers should be raised even in the control meal (14.4 g/d), as well as in food taken by outpatients (5.36 g/d), while it is 30 g/d according to DRI recommendations.
The results of minerals & vitamins were improper since for both control meal and actual consumption by liver outpatients was found to be deficient for most of studied minerals and vitamins calling for correcting the control meal, and raise their intakes by outpatients; T. cholesterol intakes were lower than in both cases (control meal and DRI).
Essential amine acids were deficient in the diet of outpatients, being highest for DRI reference protein. The control diet showing best results. It is suggested that outpatients should be aware of protein quality and also the intake of protein which was lower (41.21 g/d) than both DRI recommendation (56 g/d) and the control diet (93.6 g/d). About one third the total fat should be saturated (45.78/3=15.26) while the intake was 1.74 only.
Due to low unsaturation and low levels of essential FA (omega 6 & omega 3 FA) compared to recommendations outpatients should pay much attention to the consumed fat by them.